The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ibadan North is reeling from the fallout of what many now describe as a brazen and disgraceful hijack of its internal democratic process by the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu. In what appears to be a grand scheme lacking any regard for the survival or success of the party, Adelabu has allegedly imposed his loyalist, Wale Olatunji Murphy, as the party’s candidate for the upcoming bye-election without any legitimate delegate congress or primary.
Reports from party insiders and aggrieved aspirants indicate that Adelabu, in connivance with members of the primary committee deployed from Abuja, orchestrated a fraudulent and clandestine arrangement to railroad his anointed candidate into the ticket. Committee members allegedly involved in this charade include Dr. Umar D. Duhu, Chief Arinze Igboeli, Safiyat Tanko Haruna, Hon. Habibu Dukawa, Engr. Olateju Funso Famosara, Hon. Asalu Ayodele, and Chief Livinus Opuakpa.
Rather than provide a level playing field for all aspirants as mandated by the party’s guidelines, these individuals reportedly gathered in secret at their hotel, where Murphy allegedly handed over a pre-written and doctored delegate list that was subsequently used to stage a sham primary.
According to one of the fake delegates handpicked for the operation, sensitive materials were allegedly passed from Aliyu Orogbo to Akande Ajiboye, Personal Assistant to Adelabu, who then handed them to Murphy. After facing resistance from genuine aspirants who refused to validate the illegality, Murphy and his rented crowd, most of whom are not even registered party members, allegedly relocated to an undisclosed venue where they filmed themselves voting with the materials, part of a calculated plan to fabricate the semblance of a legitimate primary.
The so-called delegate, now disillusioned and unpaid, has threatened to expose the entire conspiracy and unleash mayhem on the constituency if he and his accomplices are not settled for the hatchet job.
Eight of the aspirants have publicly rejected the outcome and confirmed that no delegate congress or valid primary was held. The committee, instead of carrying out its duty, allegedly handed over sensitive materials to Adelabu’s lackey, Ajiboye, who passed them to Murphy, effectively disenfranchising every legitimate stakeholder in the process.
This unsavoury development is not only a mockery of internal democracy but a clear threat to the future of the APC in the constituency and the state. By allegedly installing an unpopular and unelectable candidate through backdoor dealings, Adelabu has shown utter disregard for the electoral fortunes of the party and the will of the people. To him, the outcome of the bye-election means nothing, as long as he can use the opportunity to spite party leaders and consolidate his personal grip on the party structure.
This betrayal is particularly galling to loyal APC members who will be left to suffer the consequences of this manipulation at the polls. If allowed to stand, it signals not just the loss of the bye-election but the beginning of a dangerous downward spiral that could cost the APC dearly in the 2027 general elections.
The party must rise and act swiftly. The fraudulent process allegedly engineered by Adelabu must be thoroughly investigated, reversed, and punished. APC cannot afford to be turned into a personal fiefdom where public interest and party integrity are sacrificed on the altar of personal ambition.
